Blue Zone | RanaJahani

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Ghostlab

Game Designer, Level Designer,
Technical Designer

My Responsibilities:

Designing and developing a virtual escape room in Unity to enhance problem-solving skills through immersive puzzle-solving experiences for PC, VR, and AR platforms
Owning the level design process for the escape room levels from concept to final product, including Sketching level layouts, building level blockouts and iterating on levels that have at least 45 minutes of gameplay
Prototyping engaging puzzles and scenarios, and implementing level progression using Unity editor tools to create engaging environments
Implementing player interactions and puzzle systems in levels, creating immersive and responsive gameplay experiences and ensuring levels meet technical specifications
Refining gameplay and puzzle ideas that seamlessly fit within the narrative while ensuring technical feasibility within engine and resources constraints to balance storytelling and implementation efficiency
Collaborating with cross-functional teams to facilitate research studies, document findings, and implement iterative design changes, improving player experience and gameplay quality

About

Overview: Players embark on a journey through 3 interconnected rooms that teach the secrets of longevity. Each room represents a key aspect of a long, healthy life: Nutrition and Diet, Physical Activity, and Community and has a unique type of puzzle: Logic Grid, Matchstick, and Shadow Puppets puzzles.

Genre: Virtual Escape Room on PC and XR platforms

Software: Unity, GitHub Desktop, Canva, Miro, Adobe Photoshop, Google Workspace

Hardware: Meta Quest 3

Puzzles and Level Design

Iterative Design and Implementation Process

Iterative Puzzle Design and VR Implementation

Puzzle design was an iterative process, evolving from paper prototypes to full implementation in VR. I contributed to tuning puzzle difficulty, creating engaging content, and implementing the puzzles in-engine to ensure they were both functional and interactable.

For instance, in our initial prototype, we designed a grid-based puzzle that involved determining the correct time to harvest various plants. Players had to find plant cards scattered throughout a greenhouse and mark the answers on a calendar. However, after playtesting, we found the puzzle lacked engagement and didn’t fully take advantage of VR’s affordances.

To address this, I proposed a new puzzle centered on watering plants, where players had to determine the correct amount of water each plant needed based on clues found in a nearby notebook. This not only increased immersion but also made better use of VR's affordances as the player directly interact with puzzle pieces.

At that stage, the programming team was focused on other areas of the game, so I took initiative to script and implement the new puzzle myself, ensuring it was fully functional and ready for further testing.

1st Prototype: Harvesting Order

2nd Prototype: Watering

The script manages the logic for an interactive, rotatable water knob (such as a faucet).
It allows users to rotate a virtual knob along the Y-axis.
The knob visually and functionally simulates controlling a water output (a faucet).
When the user releases the knob, it “snaps” to the nearest predefined position (called a DialZone).
If the snapped position matches a pre-set correct answer, a success function is triggered; otherwise, a failure function is triggered.
Water effects (particles) and sound are updated in real time based on the knob’s position.

Ensuring narrative coherence by aligning story and gameplay mechanics:

To maintain believability, we continually justified design choices through the narrative (and vice versa). For instance, we initially set the game in an abandoned house. However, gameplay required planting activities, harvesting fresh produce, and cooking. These were gameplay elements that didn’t align with a deserted setting. To resolve this, we reimagined the game world as a time bubble, allowing players to travel back to when the house was still lived in. This preserved both narrative integrity and gameplay needs.

To support this new narrative direction, I designed and implemented a new entrance room for the house. I created the illusion of a larger, once-lived-in space by adding broken staircases and environmental storytelling elements, such as framed family photos and a locked kitchen door (the main puzzle area). I scripted a key/lock mechanic, allowing players to discover a key and unlock the door, adding a sense of mystery and progression.

To enhance immersion and engagement, I wrote a short narrative triggered when players interact with the pictures. A ghostly voiceover reveals the story of the house and its former residents, deepening the emotional atmosphere and encouraging exploration.